NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccahon

A Scottish surname derived from a place name meaning "son of the battle chief".

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lanark South, Birmingham and Gourock East, Greenock West and Lyle Road.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccahon is 109 in 2012. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

106

2016, ranked #29,927

Peak year

2012

109 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 106 in 2016, ranked #29,927.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 28 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mccahon surname distribution map

The map shows where the Mccahon surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Mccahon surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mccahon over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1 #33,412
1891 historical 6 #33,800
1901 historical 28 #30,951
1911 historical 12 #32,302
1997 modern 84 #29,106
1998 modern 92 #28,680
1999 modern 91 #28,937
2000 modern 84 #29,706
2001 modern 84 #29,508
2002 modern 75 #30,950
2003 modern 87 #29,615
2004 modern 93 #29,065
2005 modern 85 #30,219
2006 modern 83 #30,808
2007 modern 83 #31,183
2008 modern 86 #31,114
2009 modern 91 #30,944
2010 modern 98 #30,540
2011 modern 97 #30,552
2012 modern 109 #28,689
2013 modern 107 #29,561
2014 modern 108 #29,658
2015 modern 108 #29,512
2016 modern 106 #29,927

Geography

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Where Mccahons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lanark South, Birmingham, Gourock East, Greenock West and Lyle Road, Wandsworth and Tonbridge and Malling. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lanark South South Lanarkshire
2 Birmingham 038 Birmingham
3 Gourock East, Greenock West and Lyle Road Inverclyde
4 Wandsworth 006 Wandsworth
5 Tonbridge and Malling 003 Tonbridge and Malling

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mccahon

These lists show first names that appear often with the Mccahon surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mccahon

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mccahon, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Mccahon surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Mccahon household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mccahon is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mccahon is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mccahon falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mccahon is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Mccahon, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mccahon

The surname MCCAHON originated in Ireland, with its roots dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic personal name "Cathán," which means "battle" or "warrior." The prefix "Mac" signifies "son of," indicating that the name MCCAHON was initially given to the son of someone named Cathán.

One of the earliest records of the MCCAHON name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In this text, the name is spelled "Mac Cathán," and it is mentioned in connection with events that occurred in the year 1590.

The MCCAHON name was particularly prevalent in County Donegal, located in the northern part of Ireland. Several notable individuals with this surname hailed from this region, including Patrick McCahon (1715-1798), who was a prominent landowner and member of the Irish Parliament.

As the MCCAHON family spread across Ireland and beyond, the name underwent various spelling variations. Some of these variations include McCahan, McCahon, McCahen, and McCahon. These spelling changes were often influenced by local dialects and the preferences of individual scribes or record-keepers.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the MCCAHON name in literature can be found in the works of the Irish poet and playwright William Butler Yeats (1865-1939). In his poem "The Wanderings of Oisin," Yeats mentions a character named "McCahon of the Sailors."

Another notable figure with the MCCAHON surname was Sir John McCahon (1799-1875), an Irish lawyer and politician who served as Lord Chancellor of Ireland from 1865 to 1866. He was also a prominent member of the Privy Council of Ireland.

In the realm of art, the name MCCAHON is associated with Colin McCahon (1919-1987), a renowned New Zealand painter and a key figure in the development of modern art in his country. His works, often featuring landscapes and religious themes, are celebrated for their bold use of color and symbolic imagery.

While the MCCAHON surname has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, due to the migration of Irish families over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Mccahon surname: questions and answers

How common is the Mccahon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 106 in 2016. That gives Mccahon a modern rank of #29,927.

What does the Mccahon surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from a place name meaning "son of the battle chief".

What does the Mccahon map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Mccahon bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.